Farmington Selectmen’s race a cliffhanger St. Onge clinches spot by 2 votes All school district articles are approved

Thursday

Mar 13, 2014 at 3:15 AM

By John Nolanjnolan@fosters.com

FARMINGTON — In a very tight race four-way for a single seat on the Board of Selectmen was made even more tense by “human error” at the ballot box, on Tuesday evening. This led to an hour’s delay while votes were hand-counted, to ensure an accurate result.

It was almost 8:30 p.m. when Moderator Chris Soma announced that Brian St. Onge was the winner with 157 votes. David Connolly came close with 155 votes, as did Ann Titus with 153 votes. Joshua Carlsen was a distant fourth with 35 votes.

St. Onge, who is a longtime member of the Budget Committee, said, “I look forward to working with the people of Farmington by expanding the tax base and keeping the tax rate down.” He added that he had run against “very worthwhile opponents.”

Neither Connolly nor Titus, who had both come so close, expressed a wish to seek a recount. No other races on the town side of the ballot were contested, and five zoning amendments all passed with ease.

On the School District ballot, incumbent School Board members Penny Morin and Joe Pitre were re-elected to three-year terms with 224 and 184 votes, respectively. This was a five-way race for the two openings — Brandy Sanger got 155 votes, Tim Moody got 133 votes and Joshua Carlsen gleaned 99 votes.

Morin, who chairs the School Board, said, “I am so excited that the teachers got a three-year contract, and to be part of the process for the next three years.

Pitre, also present for the announcement of the results, said, “We have a lot of work to do, either way of what happens in Middleton.”

He was referring to articles on the Middleton School District warrant, seeking to terminate the association with Farmington schools.

All the other articles on the warrant were approved by voters. Article 3, the operating budget of $17,975,497 passed by 309-217.

Article 4, the SAU budget of $984,116, passed by 297 votes to 232.

Article 5, the multiyear teachers contract, extending to 2016-2017, passed by a vote of 312 to 223. In the coming year it will add $187,510 in salary increases, with bigger hikes in the two ensuing years.

Article 9, a three-year contract for custodians, passed by 324 votes to 206. The cost in year one is $16,563.

Three other articles, seeking to tap established capital reserve fund to refinish the floor of the middle school gymnasium, to add and repair rooftop air conditioning at the high school, and fix and install drainage on playing fields all met with voter approval.

The turnout in Farmington was below 15 percent, with 562 votes cast from a roll of 3,852 registered voters.